Adjustable pilot



July 23, 1940.

.I. L. BREESE ADJUSTABLE-PILOT Z'Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March '17, 1939 qoooomoooo V wa INVENTOR. J'ames Z .Brease BY [p a f V a I ATTORNEY.

July 23, 1940. J. 1.. BREESE ADJUSTABLE PILOT Filed larch 1'7, 1939 2 Shgeets-Sheet'Z llllllllb J Z 'NVENTOR. awe; reese A ATTORNEY.

Patented July 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE James L. Breeac, Santa Fe, N. Mex assigninto Oil Devices, Santa Fe, N. Mex alimlted partnor-ship of Illinois Application March 11, m9, Serial no. spans,

3 Claims. {cuss-s1) pilot flame in a pot with a maximum turndown when a heating efl'ect is not desired.

Another purpose is the provision of improved means for maintaining a relatively small pilot 7 10 flame located ofl the center of the pot and, preterably, opposite a liquid fuel inlet;

Another purpose is the provision improved means for varying the cross sectional area of the aperture connecting the lower and the upper part 16 of a pot, in connection with a pilot structure.

Another purpose is the provision oi thermostatic means ior varying the cross sectional area of such an aperture.

Other purposes will appear irom time to time go in the course of the specification and claims,

I illustrate my invention more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings wherein: Fig. 1 is a vertical central axial section through a pot and burner, illustrating my invention with 2 the pilot shutter in inoperative or full combustion position;

Fig. 2 is a partial view looking in the direction oi'arrows22of1 ig.1; h

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of so l 'lgi 1, with the pilot shutter in operative position; Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. i, with the pilot shutter in operative position. Like parts are indicated by like characters 35 throughout the specification and drawings,

' Referring to the drawings, i generally indicates I any suitable shell or heater housing, the details of. which do not of themselves form part of the present invention. .If desired.' a iurther outer 40 housing 2 may be employed. 3 is a flange extending circumierentially about the interior of the shell I. Mounted on this flange 3, I illustrate a generally cylindrical pot 4 having a bottom I and an oil or liquid iuel inlet 3. v

A plurality of primary air inlets are located in.

the pot 4, the lower row being illustrated as at I, h

and the remaining rows being indicated as at I.

r A preferably fixed pilot ring. or baiiie 3 is mounted on any suitable pins or supports l l,

above the lowest rows or primary air inlets "ii This ring has a large central apertui 'e'jf'l I, .which may be partially closed by a shutte'n'or damper l2, which is shown as having bearing pins or u pivots l3, II at opposite sides thereon These may fiatI i'n any suitable bearing sleeves or half sleeves I1 is any suitable centering or positioning ring on the member l4, which prevents unintended longitudinal movementof the shutter l2 in the 5 bearings. A rod i3 extends from the bearing pin l3 through the wall of the pot.4 and the shell I and is provided with an exterior washer it, which may be engaged by any suitable bracket 23 on the exterior of the shell member I in order 'iurl0 ther to hold the rod I3 in proper position. 2! is another washer or clutch element mounted on the rod i3 and held against movement in relation thereto.

Rotatably mounted on the rod I3 is the clamp 1 disc 22, with its lever arm 23. 24 is a spring which normally urges the disc 22 against the fixed disc 2|, thereby irictionally holding the disc 22 against movement in relation to the rod It. 25 is any suitable abutment member, washer or the like, for go maintaining the spring 24 properly compressed,

the washer being screw-threaded if necessary, or

otherwise adjustably mounted on the rod I8 Pivoted to the outer end of the arm 23 is a .link 23, which in turn is pivoted to an arm 21 25 associated with a rotated stem 23, which passes through the disc end or closure 29 of a housing 33, in the inner end of which it is further mounted, asinthebearing sleeve 3|.

32 is a bimetallic helixsecured at one end to the rod 23 and at its opposite end to the housing 3I..'The housing 33 extends into the interior of the burner, within'the shell I and above the pot 4,

and is therefore responsive to best conditions within the burner. It will be understood that the bimetallic helii: 32 fwlll flex in response to temperature changes and that this fiexure, through the lever 21, the link 26 and the lever 23, will cause a rotation of the shutter l2 into and out 0! pilot position.

The pot 4 may be open topped as at 35, or if desired a top baille 33 may be mounted thereon. 31 indicate secondary air apertures for supplying secondary air for -the final completion and combustion of the mixture preliminarily formed by the admission of primary-air through the apertures l and Ito the vaporized liquid hydrocarbons. Itwill be realized that whereas I have described and illustrated a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changes may be made in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit oi. my invention. I therefore wish my description and my drawings 7 to be taken as ina broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic, rather than as limiting me to my precise showing.

e use and operation of my invention are as follows:

In the employment of pot type burners a maximum heating efficiency in connection with a low turndown is desirable. I find it particularly desirable to provide a separation between a lower we or pilot zone in the pot, below the ring 9, and

means to, it'being understood that the damper may be controlled either thermostatically or manually. Under some circumstances I may find .it practical to combine both features, in one structure. It will be understood, of course, that a release of the spring as, for example by a loosening of the washer 25, will render the thermostatic control inoperative while leaving the manual control iii in full operation.

Whether manual or thermostatic operation is employed, however, it will be understood that when the device is operated on a pilot basis,

with a minimum flame, the shutter i2 is in horizontal position, as illustrated in full line in Fig. 4, and defines, along its straight edge 1211., an eccentric aperture of substantially smaller cross sectional area than the circular aperture de-' fined by the inner edge of the ring $3. This aperture, and the pilot flame which comes upwardly therethrough, is'ofi center in relation to the central axis of the pot. It is preferably placed opposite the oil inlet so that the gases travel the full width of the burner before coming out through the orifice so provided.

A frequent trouble of pilots with a central burner is that the side opposite the oil pipe is relatively lean, and the air from that side is liable to cause incorrect combustion. 'I'nis drawback has been obviated by the above described structure.

It will be understood of course that when the damper i2 is turned in the position in which it is shown, for example in Fig. 1, and in dotted line position in Fig. 4, it is, as it were, entirely out of use. The area within the ring 9 is so great that the-combustion taking place in the upper portion of the pot 4 or above the top of the pot is edective to vaporize the owing oil in the bottom or the not without any substantial shiel eflect. Thus, I am able to obtain a maximum turndown or pilot sheet with a minimum interference with the emcienoy of the burner. i It will be understood in any event that the ring or fixed baiile 9 is only incidental in the function of the pilot and is a mere matter of' convenience as providing, in connection with its central aperture and the baiiie it, a variable communicating space between the upper and lower portions of the pot 3. In the pot shownin the present application it is convenient toemploy a ring or fixed bame since, if a shutter with a full diameter were used, the cutoii portion 820. might have to be too large in order to make it swing to the vertical position on high fire. "Hie ring need not play any functional part in the operation of the pilot.

I claim: g

1. In a pot type burner, a pot having a wall with a plurality of primary inlet apertures therein, a fixed pilot ring located in said pot above the lowest primary air inlet apertures, a' shutter pivotally mounted in the aperture of said ring, said shutter being adapted to define an eccentrically located pilot aperture, and a liquid fuel inlet means for said pot, located below said pilot fstructure, said means communicating with the potat a point remote from said pilot aperture.

2. In a. pot type burner, a pot having a wall with a plurality of primary inlet apertures therein, a fixed pilot ring located in said pot above the lowest primary air inlet apertures, a shutter pivotally mounted in the aperture of said ring, said shutter being adapted to define an eccen-- trically located pilot aperture, and liquid fuel inlet means; for said pot, located below said pilot structure, said means communicating with the pot at a point generally diametrically opposite to said pilot aperture.

3. In apo type burner,'a pot having a wall with a plurality of air inlet apertures therein, a pilot baiiie structure located in said pot adjacent the lowest primary air inlet apertures, including a horizontally pivoted shutter, one side of said shutter being formed to provide an eccentric passage when the shutter is in generally horizontal position, said baiiie having an eccentric pilot aperture, and a liquid fuel inlet means for said pot located below said bame structure and communicating with the. pot at a point suffl'ciently remote from said pilot aperture to permit hydroxylatlon of the fuel admitted therethrough prior to the escape of such fuel in vaporized form through the pilot aperture.

1 JAMES L. BREESE. 1 

